Avery Timmins' short-handed goal lifts Greenwich past Johnstown for the Section 2 Class C field hockey title

Greenwich celebrates after defeating Johnstown to win the Section 2 Class C championship on Sunday at Glens Falls High School. (Kyle Adams/For the Times Union) GLENS FALLS - The formula that the Greenwich field hockey team used to win last season's Section 2 Class C championship worked so well that the Witches decided to use it again.Late in the third quarter on Sunday in this season's title game against No. 3 Johnstown, top-seeded Greenwich took the lead on a penalty corner when senior Avery Timmins finished off a ball sent in by junior Quinn Sheehan.It was the lone goal in a 1-0 victory for the Witches, who won the program's second straight Class C title."The original plan was to slip to the left to my younger sister," Sheehan said. "But I looked up and there was a girl right on her, so I was like, never mind, I'm just going to shoot. (Avery) was on the post and she finished it. It was a perfect goal. It's not what we planned, but it worked.""That's a really, really big part of the game, figuring out what's working and what doesn't work," said Timmins, "and in the moment making quick decisions like that." The goal came as Johnstown was playing down two players, who were sidelined for penalties.Last season, in the championship game against Hoosick Falls, Timmins scored the lone goal on an assist from Sheehan in a 1-0 win, ending the Panthers' stretch of four straight titles."This is a special team. They show a lot of grit and a lot of heart," said Greenwich coach Bridget Dusha. "They knew what they needed to do to get the job done today, and came out and executed. They left nothing up to chance and they left it all out on the field. I'm really proud of this group." Johnstown's Brynn Hartwig competes for possession against Greenwich's Taber Hunt during the Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game on Sunday at Glens Falls High School. (Kyle Adams/For the Times Union) Key momentAccording to Timmins and Sheehan, a major factor in the Witches' win on Sunday occurred more than a month ago, when Johnstown secured a decisive 4-1 regular-season victory over Greenwich in late September."We learned so much from losing that game," Timmins said, "and we used all of that. Losing made us want it more.""After that loss, we had a fire inside of us," Sheehan said. "It was like, we have to beat them. We were (seeded) No. 1 for a reason, and we wanted to prove it."Star of the gameTimmins proved once again on Sunday that she can come through in the clutch, scoring the lone goal in a championship-game win for the second straight year."It feels really great, especially because this is my last year," Timmins said. "We did it this year, we did it last year, and I really didn't want to end on a loss."While the connection between Timmins and Sheehan came early in the first quarter of the 2025 title game, it took the Witches a bit longer to figure out Johnstown's defense this time."I think they knew who our key players were, and they tried to keep the ball away from them," Dusha said. "They knew we were going to attack the goal head-on, and their defense did a fantastic job getting their sticks down and stopping anything that came their way. They weren't giving us any second chances.""They have a really solid defense," Sheehan added. "They keep their sticks on the ground, they stay low and they know how to protect. Just learning how to break that and what their small weaknesses are is what got us the goal."Numbers to know2011: As Greenwich returns to the state tournament, it will attempt to match or surpass the program's top finish, which came 15 years ago in a state title game loss under head coach Dawn Slater.61: Goals scored for Greenwich this season, against 18 goals surrendered.4: Saves by Johnstown goalie McKenna Ward.What's nextGreenwich: The Witches (14-3 overall) will return to Glens Falls High School for the Class C regional championship against Section 3 on Sunday at 11 a.m.Johnstown: Ends its season with a 10-8 overall record.SubscribeThere’s more to Albany with the Times Union. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Avery Timmins' short-handed goal lifts Greenwich past Johnstown for the Section 2 Class C field hockey title.